Warmth of the Sun
by FourShots
Summary: This is a story of teenage love. It takes place in Hinata and Yachi's 2nd year of high school after Karasuno won Nationals. We are discovering new feelings and experiences alongside them. The wonders and pains of love. It is my first story ever so any comments and advice is greatly appreciated. Rating might change for future chapters. Thank You.
1. Chapter 1

**Hinata's View**

I woke extra early today. Actually I really didn't sleep much at all last night. It is the first day of my second year. I don't know what it is I'm feeling. For the first time since I started playing volleyball, I'm dreading going to practice. It was only a couple weeks ago that the whole team was together and we won Nationals but now everything is different. The third years are no longer there. How will it be now that Daichi, Asahi, and Suga are gone? Shimizu-senpai is also gone. It feels like there is something missing. The team will be incomplete. I cant believe that we are supposed to just move forward like nothing happened. It was mind-boggling. Our volleyball team, who at the start of the year no one noticed, had taken it all the way and became champions. We stayed on the court the longest. We were number one on all of Japan. Wow. And now we're split up and I don't know how to feel. I guess that's not the only thing that is bothering. Something else had happened at nationals. Something that was really unexpected… Stop.

I don't want to think about it. It's just going to stress me out. Every time I do It just confuses me even more and that's the last thing I want. Im just going to lock it away deep in the darkest place of my mind. That's the best option.

Since I'm already awake I might as well go for a jog and clear my head. Today is going to be an interesting day.

* * *

 **Yachi's View**

The alarm went off at 6:30 but I had been lying awake for maybe 20 minutes now. I turned it off and sat up on the bed. The first day of 2nd year was finally here. I felt really uneasy all of the sudden. Well, I guess its not all of the sudden. I've been uneasy about this day for the longest time. It has been this way since Nationals. That day had changed everything.

Since nationals took place in January. It had been really hard to deal with the last 2 months of the school year. I avoided Hinata the whole time. How could I even look him in the eye? Let alone talk to him?! It was just impossible. Thinking about it made my head hurt and my skin feel extremely hot. I mean after what went down it just wasn't possible to go back to the way things were right? At least that's how I felt.

Shimizu-senpai was no longer going to be in the club. I was the only girl now. Oh man that was really going to be hard. I talked to Shimizu-senpai last night and told her about my concerns.

"Yachi-san, I think that you're maybe overthinking." She started, "I know you guys have had some tension for some time now, but its been quite some time. I'm sure Hinata forgot all about it already."

"I know Shimizu-senpai, but what if he didn't. I mean… I haven't forgotten about it… I think about it all the time." I argued, "Plus I basically avoided him for the past 2 months. That's not something he'll just brush off." It was true. During practice, I had kept our contact to a minimum. Outside of the club, I avoided him entirely. It was horrible of me.

"Yachi-san, You know Hinata is not the kind of person to hold grudges. He only has one thing on his mind and that's volleyball. I'm sure if you just try to be friends like before he'll be overjoyed and forget about everything else." Shimizu-senpai's words were so assuring. She made me feel somewhat confident that things could be fixed.

"I hope you're right. The way things are right now just break my heart and I just want things to go back to normal. I miss him." I wasn't lying. I really did miss my friend. "Oh my god! Here I am complaining about my situations when I'm sure Shimizu-senpai is worried enough with her own problems. What with starting University and all. I'm sorry to be such a bother!"

"Don't worry about it." She laughed it off, "Univ is not that big of a difference from high school, plus we're friends aren't we? I really can't do much for you but at least i can listen to your problems so don't hesitate."

Talking to her had really helped me. I felt confident going to bed last night, but here I am back in my old habits and wishing some kind of mild disaster would strike so they would cancel school. I really didn't want to go to class today.

* * *

 **Flashback to Nationals (Yachi's view)**

"KARASUNO!"

"FIGHT!"

The team was in a craze. I couldn't stop crying and we were all being so loud. Nothing but happiness was in sight. We were back at the hotel in Tokyo. If you looked at the team you wouldn't think that they had just played 5 sets against Itachiyama Academy. You wouldn't think they had just completely drained themselves in the match against the tournament favorites. No. Not the way they were jumping around and celebrating. No doubt their bodies were moving through the sheer adrenaline and will power. Physically their bodies were spent. But their minds were on fire. Nothing could make them settle down. They shouldn't have to either.

Then I saw him. He who is always exceeding energy past the human norm. His gaze was towards the floor and his breathing was measured. Why was he so calm? I would have expected him to be jumping from wall to wall right about now. It was somewhat disconcerting to see him like this.

"Hinata..?" I approached him, "Is everything okay?"

He looked up. There it was. That piercing look he had sometimes. It crawled up on me like the most dangerous yet silent predator. It made me have to avert my eyes and instantly looked down.

"Yachi-san" he almost whispered it, "we won."

I was dumbfounded. "Yeah… uh…it was an amazing match to witness." I was able to mutter out once I found some of my composure. I finally found the courage to lift my head and look at him again. The warmest smile greeted me. I felt my temperature rise. It was so contagious. It was like looking at the sun.

"I'm so happy!" He finally shouted. Everything seemed right again. Then I noticed he was holding his hand really tightly.

"Is everything alright? Is something wrong with your hand?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah. Don't worry about it, it's nothing serious"

"What happened Hinata?"

"I jammed some of my fingers during the match. Their ace really packed a punch when he went WHOOSH and even more when he BAAAM'D" He explained in his odd way.

"Hinata why didn't you say anything? You could've sprained them or even broken them! We need to get you checked out." I scolded him. He smiled like it was no big deal but I could see past his façade. He was in pain.

"I didn't want to be taken out of the game. I remembered Tsukishima had to leave when he hurt his hand in the Shiratorizawa match. I wanted to stay in the court." He could really be dense when it came to his passion for the sport. He was dedicated to a fault.

"Let me at least tape your fingers and give you something for the pain please." I pled. Fortunately, the game was over so he didn't put much of a fight against my request.

We found Takeda-sensei in the lobby of the hotel. He was apologizing profusely to the hotel management for all the ruckus the team had been causing. We waited for an opportunity to approach him.

"Excuse me Takeda-sensei. Would you happen to know where the bag with the medical supplies is? Hinata has some discomfort and I'd like to tape his fingers and give him some pain medication" I explained.

"Oh, Yachi-san, of course." He sounded somewhat worried, "If it is not with the teams gear bag then it must have been left back in the bus. I'll go fetch it for you guys."

"No, please don't worry, I can get it myself." He looked nervous at the thought so I told him Hinata would accompany me to put his mind at ease. He gave us the keys after that.

The parking garage was really quiet. It was lit by some lights spread apart all through the complex but there was still areas of darkness since they were far from each other. The team's bus was in an area with medium light covering it. We got the supplies and went inside the bus so I could tend to his hand in a well-lit space.

"Ouch!" he winced.

"That's what happens when you don't tend to problems right away. Next time you'll know better" I laughed a little. He was whining so much like a little kid.

"I don't really mind it if I'm being honest."

"Well that's good. If the pain isn't too much then it's a sign that they aren't sprained or broken" It was a relief. It would've driven him mad to sit out practice because of this.

"That's not what I meant." He said quietly.

I looked up at him. That's when I realized this was the closest we'd ever been. I also had technically been holding his hand for the past 15 minutes. I felt my temperature rise and I prayed that he didn't notice. "Oh. Haha what did you mean then Hinata?"

"Well" he started, "if I had complained during the match then I wouldn't have had the chance to spend this moment with you right now. Just the two of us" He smiled again. My heart started racing. I dropped his hand and turned my body to face out the window and the bus and away from him. What was he saying? I could feel the anxiety creeping up on me. There was no way I could face him for the rest of the night. But he wasn't really going to give me a choice. I felt his hand reach for my face. And then he gently turned my face to his.

He was so close. Much closer than before. And he was getting closer. "Are you okay Yachi-san?" I could feel his breath on my skin now. I just nodded my head and closed my eyes trying to shake off his hand. I didn't want him to feel how hot I was. I could feel his breath getting closer so I forced myself to keep my eyes shut. Then I felt it. His lips pressed against mine. They were soft. It was a tender touch. My mind went blank.

I'm not sure how much time actually transpired in that moment. It could've been seconds or minutes. It felt like an eternity. Maybe that's why it felt like a snap back to reality. And that when things went sour. I opened my open and he was still kissing me. It had been a gentle kiss. Then I messed up. I used all of my strength to push him away from me. He was sent back and landed awkwardly on the aisle between the seats of the bus. He groaned in pain.

"Yachi-san, I'm so-"

"Don't do that!" I yelled out. I shot up from the seat and the medical supplies on my lap went flying everywhere. "Just stay away from me!" and I ran out the bus but as I ran past him I couldn't help but steal a glance at him. His face showed confusing mixed with pain and desire to speak out but I didn't give him a chance. I hurried to the hotel.

Back in my room I laid on the bed wide awake. What had just happened? And why did I react that way? I won't lie to myself. I know I have feelings for Hinata. And his kiss made me feel all kinds of things. So why did I push him away? Why did I say those things to him? I just don't think I can be near him for some time without completely melting in his presence. Did that message come across? I feel that I screamed it out in the wrong way. I was just panicking. What's going to happen?

* * *

 **Hinata's View**

WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO?

Oh man, I had really messed up. She hates me. She totally hates me. Why did you kiss her? What were you thinking? I wasn't. That's what it was. I acted purely on feeling. What am I, some Animal? Kageyama was right, I am a moron who can use his brain. I was just so happy. I blanked out. And she looked so pretty. She looked beautiful. The way her skin felt as she tended to my hand. Oh man what did I do?

I have to apologize right away. " ** _Stay away from me!_** " I remembered her last words before she left. Maybe it would be best to not bother her at least for some time. I really don't want to make matters worse. I hope things will be better with time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hinata's View**

School was going pretty normal for the most part. The only new thing was that Kageyama and I were now in the same classroom. I found him glaring at me multiple times throughout the day. I fear I'm gonna have to get used to it. He really is too intense sometimes but he also slept a good part of the class. He reminds me of an animal sometimes. He just goes off instinct but I guess I'm not too different.

"Kageyama, where we you yesterday?" We had agreed to meet at the park to practice some combinations but he never showed.

"Oh, sorry. I ran into Yachi at the store and she had a lot of things so I gave her a hand. It must've slipped my mind to let you know."

I felt my body tense up at the mention of her name. How long was it going to be like this? It had been like two months since the kiss yet things between us were no better. Yachi-san had completely avoided me since then. If I'm being honest it was somewhat relieving since I don't know how to actually deal with it. What I did know is that I missed her. She was a really good friend and I feel like I made things difficult.

"I see. Well don't worry about it Forgetfulyama" I teased a bit.

"I'm not forgetful!" He growled, "Notifying you just wasn't important moron."

It was nice to see at least some of my relationships hadn't changed. Since it was the first day of school the rest of the classes were pretty simple. We just got a basic intro into what we'd be studying. I could already tell that I was going to have a hard time this year. More so now that I didn't have Yachi-san to tutor me. I guess it was back to begging Tsukishima for lessons. I am not looking forward to that.

Finally, practice time rolled by. I was still iffy about how it was going to go without the third years but I was really happy to be getting back into the gym.

"Ok guys. We have a lot of work to do if we're gonna make our senpais proud and show them they taught us well." Ennoshita said. He had been named the new captain and he had really stepped up to the plate. He was a reliable teammate and kept us in check.

"I SEE THAT YOU'RE FIRED UP CHIKARA!" the guardian deity said as he stepped into the gym. "Just what I'd expect from the man who supposed to replace Daichi!"

"Nishinoya, I could never replace Daichi. All I can do is give it my best to not let the team down."

"You should have more faith in yourself man. We all do" Nishinoya-san told him with an encouraging smile. "Ryu! I hope you're gonna give it all you have too… Ace."

I could tell Tanaka-san was taken back by his last word. Nonetheless, he smiled proudly and gave him a double thumbs-up. It was so cool to be called the Ace. I had to work a lot harder if I planned on reaching the level of the senpais.

"I see that everyone is here. Good" Coach Ukkai entered the gym followed by Takeda-sensei. "I hoped you all had a good break and are ready to work harder than before this year"

"Thank you for working with us again sir!" we answered in unison.

"You guys flew to the top of the peak and perched at the highest point." Takeda-sensei started, "You made a statement to all of Japan. We are here. Karasuno is champion once again. More like a phoenix than a crow you rose from the ashes in a vibrant blaze and showed your strength. Now everyone is going to be aiming to clip your wings. You are the ones to beat. I hope you all are ready."

Takeda-sensei always painted a picture in my head when he spoke. Most of the time it made me feel confused but at the same time it filled me with determination and energy. He was a good man and he's done a lot for the team. We are lucky to have someone so dedicated with us.

Practice was good. I had missed the sensation of burning in my legs and the stinging on my palm from hitting the ball so much. Yet there was something missing. I kept finding myself scanning the gym for her but Yachi-san was nowhere to be found. It worried me. She wouldn't quit just because of me right? No. There's no way she was the type of person. She'd worked too hard just to leave now. Finally she showed up, behind her 3 guys I had never seen before.

"Everyone gather up!"

"Yachi-san! Good to see you! I was wondering where you were" Yamaguchi said. A little too happy in my opinion. I mean they were both in the same class so he'd obviously seen her earlier in school.

"Oh Hello, I had to do some stuff to help out these guys" she signaled to the 3 individuals. "These are Takagi-san, Saito-san, and Yoshida-San. They are the new recruits for the volleyball team."

"Nice to meet you." All 3 boys said.

"What position do you guys play?" Ennoshita asked.

"Middle blocker" the one named Yoshida said. He was the tallest of the 3. Not as tall as Tsukishima but definitely taller than me. It made my blood heat up. Lucky guy.

"Libero" Takagi said. I glanced at Nishinoya-san who lit up with a devilish smile. Takagi was the shortest of the candidates but only by a few inches. He was by no means a short man.

"Um… I don't know. This is gonna be my first time playing volleyball. Sorry" Saito answered quietly. "I saw the Nationals on TV. I had already decided to come to Karasuno but had no intention of doing sports. But seeing you guys… it just seemed like y'all were having so much fun."

Hearing him made my heart beat faster. We had actually inspired someone to play volleyball. This feeling was amazing. Kageyama placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey" he called out to Saito. "This guy has been playing since his first year in middle school but he's still awful. I'm sure with your height and some use of brain you'll reach his level in no time and eventually surpass him"

Everyone started laughing. Damn Kageyama. He had encouraged the first year by tearing me down. The thought of getting surpassed by a beginner in no time killed me. And why did he mention his height? Oh man. Kageyama really made me the butt of his joke. The worst part is that he was completely serious when he said it. I'd have to prove him wrong. Then I noticed who had joined in the laughter. Yachi-san was smiling with the rest of the team. Good sign. Then our eyes met and she instantly stopped and went to talk to Takeda-sensei. Bad sign.

* * *

 **Yachi's View**

I never thought much about getting placed in the advanced classes. It was just something that didn't mean much to me. Today, however, I was really thankful that I was. I couldn't imagine being placed in the same class as Hinata and having to see him all the time outside of practice. It should've been easy. I was placed in the same class as Yamaguchi-san and Tsukishima-san. I didn't think this was gonna be a problem but boy was I wrong.

"Manager" Tsukishima approached me with Yamaguchi. It was unusual. We never really spoke before. I wonder what he wants.

"Have you fixed your issues with our Tiny Giant yet?" he asked and I felt my temperature rise to a blazing point.

"wh-WHat?!" I was flustered. I can't believe that he chose to start the conversation with that. "I don't have any issues with Hinata-san"

"Your response exposes you" he spoke. "You said –san. You've obviously distanced yourself. Well, I suppose it's none of my business and I'm really not that interested. I'm sure he is mulling over it though. I doubt he can deal with multiple things at once. See you later manager."

Tsukishima walked away while Yamaguchi was talking to him with a frustrated expression. I wonder what he meant. Hinata couldn't deal with things? I don't know what to make of that. Hinata certainly didn't come off as one to back down from anything. What could he be dealing with about us? Shimizu-senpai had said he was probably over what happened with us. Yeah. I'm sure that's the case. When I go to practice it will all be like it was before.

But it wasn't.

Being the sole manager was real work. Shimizu-senpai was really diligent so I have to make sure I work just as hard. We have 3 potential members and that makes me really happy but also its nostalgic thinking about the members that graduated. We're are a new Karasuno this year.

When I finally headed to the gym it was almost time for practice to finish up. We introduced the new members and our 2nd years really showed their growth. Especially Kageyama. He encouraged the new members like Tanaka-san did for them last year. His actions were done in a real Kageyama-way. Of course it ended with him and Hinata throwing punches and kicks. Hinata looked so annoyed. His brow was furrowed and his cheeks were red. He looked cute. Wait what am I thinking? When I caught myself I saw he was looking at me. We locked eyes for a split second and I decided that was enough for a lifetime. I did what I do best, left.

I changed from my gym clothes and prepared to walk home. Outside I ran into the unexpected. Kageyama and Hinata were talking by the entrance as I approached.

"I know you think I lack skill but you'll see Kageyama. I'll prove to you just how much I've grown." Hinata sounded serious. Perhaps Kageyama's earlier comments got to him.

"You don't have to worry about proving anything. Even if you're a moron with beginner skills when we play as a team we are the stronger six." He reprimanded. "Don't overwork yourself with useless goals"

"I have to. You don't understand." Hinata's voice was soft now. "I want to be taken serious too. Everyone thinks I can't handle anything. It's the same outside of volleyball."

That's when Kageyama noticed me and nodded as a way to acknowledge my presence. This in turn made Hinata turn his head and for the second time tonight we locked eyes. After hearing his words though, for some reason I didn't want to look away from him. Maybe I wanted to say that I took him serious. I wonder if he got my message.

"Yachi-san, are you headed to the bus stop?" Kageyama asked.

"Oh yeah, I am."

"Then would you like to walk with us?" He offered. Even though Hinata rode his bike everyday he would always walk with Kageyama to the bus stop. Until 2 months ago those trips usually included me as well.

"Um… sure if you don't mind."

"Let's head out" Kageyama started leading the way with Hinata and me following closely. Hinata still hadn't tried to talk to me. It's probably what happens after I avoided him all that time. I wanted to talk to him. Have a conversation about anything. I'd try to get over this hump on the trip to the stop.

There was a ring and Hinata reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He talked for a few seconds and hung up.

"Sorry guys. I'm gonna go on ahead" he said as he got onto his bike.

"Everything okay?" our setter asked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure. Apparently there was an accident in my dad's workplace and he is in the hospital. I gotta head home and take care of my little sister. I'll see you guys later." He rode into the night and eventually disappeared into the darkness.

I was left with Kageyama and I could tell he was deep in thought after Hinata left. I wondered if he was worried. I know they are both very important to the team and when they were fighting last year it was really rough for me but there was so much I didn't know. I don't know how their relationship was outside of volleyball. Were the friends or just teammates.

"Hinata isn't a joke." He finally spoke after minutes of silent walking. It caught me off guard at first so I didn't know how to reply. He noticed my confusion and continued. "He doesn't look it but he works harder than everyone else and we all know it."

"That's true but I bet he still gets frustrated by the natural talents that others come by easily" I replied.

"That has never really stopped him before." Kageyama had a serious look in his face. "Something tells me that this frustration has little to do with volleyball. How are things with you two?

"wh-What?" The question made me freeze up. What could he be referring to? Hinata couldn't be acting this way because of me could he?

"I'm not really sure what happened between you guys but for some time now there has been tension around ya'll" He spoke with no hesitation. He wasn't asking. It seemed he was certain something happened between us.

"Well…" I guess I was gonna have to come clean after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yachi's View**

I'm going to get home later than usual. I had been so into my talk to Kageyama that I missed my bus stop and got off at the next one. I walked home at a slow pace, trying my best to relax and slow down my heart. Today had not at all gone how I expected. My time with Kageyama had been mostly me talking and him listening with the occasional nod of understanding. I was afraid of what would happen when I let someone else into my problems. The only person that knew outside of me and Hinata was Shimizu-senpai. And now Kageyama. I doubt Hinata had been telling anyone since he hadn't even told our setter and they were the closer of the team.

"Hitoka! Where were you?" My mother asked as soon as I walked into the apartment. "I was worried sick little girl."

"I'm sorry mom. I lost track of time and when I noticed it was already late" It was the truth. My mind was not the most focused right now.

"Where you with the orange-haired boy? Hinata-san was it?" she asked.

"No, no I wasn't... well I was but I wasn't" I felt flustered and I could feel my body getting hot. Even my mom was making assumptions about me and Hinata. I don't know if my heart could really handle all of this.

"Hmmm… alright then. Just please don't make a habit of it. At least let me know if you'll be late honey." She gave me one final teasing smirk and disappeared into the kitchen.

I went straight into my room and laid on the bed. Today had been a really hard day, and it was only the first day of school. Oh boy, I was not looking forward to the future. I wasn't scared but I sure was nervous. I would be lying if it didn't also excite me in a way. I drifted off into sleep slowly.

I woke up around midnight. I slept for a couple of hours since I guess my body was mentally exhausted from today's events. I thought about Hinata. I wondered how he was and wanted to reach out to him. It was late though. Perhaps just a text would be ok. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and went into my messages to find my convo with him.

*I'm really sorry Yachi-san.*

That was the last message between us. It had been 2 months since he sent it and I never replied. I instantly felt bad. I had completely cut him off. What right did I have to care now? I abandoned him for so long now. I was a terrible friend. My fear of losing the way things were made me lose our friendship entirely. No. There was still time. Right? I could fix this. This was the first step.

*Hey*

I pressed the send button and my heart sank. What if he didn't reply? Maybe he was already asleep. Maybe he doesn't want to talk to me and will just ignore me. Oh man I shouldn't have messaged him. I'm so dumb.

It didn't take long. Maybe 2 minutes before my phone buzzed. I was terrified to look at it. It was a message from Hinata.

*Hey you*-H

What did I expect? After all I had sent a greeting so of course he'd respond in the same way. But he was still awake and he had replied fairly quickly. I somehow felt more at ease.

*I hope I didn't wake you. I was just wondering if everything was alright*-Y

*Sorry, I know it's not my business but I was just thinking about you*-Y

WAIT! Why did I tell him that? Now he's gonna think I'm some kind of stalker or something.

*Don't worry I was still awake. And thank you for caring.*-H

*It seems my dad got into a car accident when he was leaving work*-H

*Mom said he's pretty banged up but should be fine after some treatment*-H

*He'll stay in the hospital for some time*-H

I couldn't believe it. Poor Hinata and his family. At least they were spared from a greater tragedy. I felt wrong. I was sad that Hinata was going through this but I was also happy that we were talking. Even if it was just through texts. I missed him so much. I wish I hadn't waited so long to reach out to him.

*Hinata you should get some rest.* -Y

*You're probably right but I can't seem to fall asleep* -H

*Are you worried about your dad?*-Y

*Your mom said he'd be ok, right? Have faith.*-Y

*Yea, it's partly that. But its also because of you*-H

*I'm sorry! I'm keeping you up. I'll let you go now*-Y

*Goodnight Hinata*-Y

*No, it's just that you said you were thinking of me*-H

*I was afraid that you hated me*-H

*I'm really happy*-H

*Goodnight Yachi-san*-H

How could I sleep after that? This boy really knew how to get me to react. I don't know if that was good or bad. I do know that I was happy as well.

* * *

 **Hinata's View**

It had certainly not been the best day I've had in a while. It was rough. I was worried about my dad but I felt that everything was going to be okay. My mom had said that it was just a couple of broken bones and bruises. It wasn't anything that threatened his life. I was able to relax once I heard that. Of course Natsu was fine. She had been really scared at first but when mom relayed news to us she had completely gotten over it. It must be nice to have that mentality. My sister was lucky. Her biggest worries were what she was gonna eat or play that day. Sometimes I wish I could go back to simpler times.

I felt bad in a way. My parents were having a rough time in the hospital and here I am grinning like an idiot on my bed. I must be the worst son in the world. Yachi-san had reached out to me though. For the first time in the longest time, I felt that things were heading in the right direction with her. Tomorrow I'd try to talk to her during lunch or something. Sometime before practice where it could just be the two of us. Am I getting ahead of myself? I feel like I'm thinking about it too much. I mean, all she did was check up on me because of the circumstances. Would she had talked to me if nothing had happened? No. She had agreed to walk to the bus stop with me before everything. Well, I guess technically she had agreed to Kageyama. Man! This was so frustrating. I was happy when she texted me but now I just confused myself all over again from overthinking. I need to get some rest. Too much for one day.

The morning sun came a lot faster than I would've wanted. I guess it was to be expected. I went to sleep pretty late and probably got around 3 hours of sleep. I had also missed morning practice. That did not feel good. I guess it was unavoidable though. I was gonna be running on fumes today. Mom had told me that it was okay if I skipped school today since yesterday had been so hectic but I couldn't do that. I had to see Yachi-san. I needed to ride the momentum from last night before it died down. I would hate to go back to her avoiding me.

"Big Brother, can you fix me breakfast?" my little sister walked into my room as I finally raised form bed.

"Sure just give me a minute to get ready."

I grabbed my phone and saw I had a message from mom.

*Shoyo, I won't be home until after 10 this morning.*

*Keep Natsu company until then since she is staying home from school*

Well, there goes my plan to try and talk to Yachi-san this morning. Maybe I should just stay home too. Nah. I don't want to miss practice in the afternoon too. I walked into the kitchen and started making food. Natsu was in the living room watching something on the television. We ate while talking about her school activities. She seemed pretty happy to be joining the basketball club. I couldn't help but think about how she was like me. More than likely she was not gonna be very tall and she'd be playing in a sport for tall people as well. I guess she didn't have to worry about it for some time.

Mom came back a little past 10. I got everything ready and prepared to go to school. Given the 30 minute bike ride I was prolyl going to make it to school at around 11 which meant I had one period to get my thoughts together before looking for Yachi-san during lunch. It was not gonna be an easy task but I was up for it.

* * *

 **Yachi's View**

I didn't see Hinata this morning. He didn't go to morning practice which had never happened before. I was worried about him. Kageyama said he messaged him in the morning and apparently he was going to be staying home with his sister today. That really sucked. I was hoping to try and talk to him face to face.

During second period Yamaguchi approached me. He seemed a little off. He wasn't with Tsukishima which was also really odd. They were joined at the hip. Without the giant middle blocker next to him, Yamaguchi actually seemed pretty tall compared to other boys in the class.

"Hey Yachi-san" He begun. "I was wondering if you had any plans for lunch today"

"Not really, I was just gonna eat with a couple of friends why? Is something going on with the club?"

"Oh no, it was nothing to do with volleyball. I was hoping that maybe after you're done eating if we could meet in the library. Just us."

His request was odd. I wondered what he wanted to talk about and why he would chose the library to meet.

"Um… sure I guess we can do that. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. All is fine. I just wanted some help with some of the class material" He seemed really excited all of the sudden but at least his motives were just for school reasons. It might be a good idea to get my mind off of Hinata. Yamaguchi looked like he really needed the help too. He was all nervous. Perhaps his grades were slipping.

When lunchtime finally came I gathered materials that Yamaguchi might want to cover. I wasn't sure what to expect so I just made sure I had all my books with me. Then I saw him as I headed for the library. That unruly orange hair and his smile as he sprinted down the hall towards me. When had Hinata gotten to school? And why was he running towards me?

"Hey you" he said when he reached me.

"Hey, when did you get here? I figured you weren't coming to school today."

"I got her at the beginning of last period. I wasn't able to come earlier because my mom was tied up at the hospital." He rubbed the back of his head as he spoke. He looked like everything was ok despite all that happened yesterday.

"How is your dad?"

"Oh it seems he will be able to make a full recovery in a few weeks. Thank you for asking"

"That's great Hinata-san" I said before I could stop myself. It was too late I saw the reaction on his face as the words came out.

"San? Oh man, and here I was thinking we were moving forward but we're just regressing." He frowned at the thought. Then he smiled. I guess he noticed my inner breakdown.

"I'm only teasing Yachi-san. Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh ok. What is it?" I was really nervous but also dying of curiosity.

"Do you want to go somewhere quieter for lunch where we can talk?" he asked me. Before I could answer I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey Yachi-san. You were late so I was getting worried. Are you ready?" Yamaguchi's voice startled me. I looked at him and then at Hinata who seemed confused.

"Oh Yamaguchi-san. Right. I'm sorry Hinata. I had plans with Yamaguchi from before." I really wanted to blow him off for the tiny giant but that would be wrong. "Maybe we can talk later okay?"

"Uh… Sure. Don't worry about it."

I headed for the library with Yamaguchi but gave one last look to Hinata who stood frozen in place as he watched us. Puzzled expression embedded on his face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hinata's View**

Wait. What?

What just happened? Why did Yachi-san just leave with Yamaguchi? They had plans together she said. What kind of plans? Why were they making plans in the first place? This is so confusing. I really needed to talk to her. I was almost positive that this issue was also important to her. Wait. Was it important to her? I mean she did spend the last 2 months avoiding it. Was I the only one that cared about what was going on? I mean, I don't know what she was going through in those 2 months. Maybe she developed a bond with Yamaguchi in that time. I don't like the thought of that.

Why don't I like it? It's not like I have anything against Yamaguchi. I mean, it would probably be good if he started hanging out with other people before Tsukishima turns him into a jerk too. It's also good if Yachi-san develops with relationships with more people from the team. It will definitely help her as manager. I guess it just feels weird to have to share her. I know I don't own Yachi-san, but she's my friend. It's always been me, her, and Kageyama.

KAGEYAMA!

That's it! While Yachi-san was avoiding me she still kept close to Kageyama. I bet he knows more about what's going on with her and Yamaguchi. I have to talk to him.

I searched the hallways and even the gym but there was no sign of our setter anywhere. Just as I was about to give up I found him in the patio by the vending machine. He was sipping on a yogurt with an angry expression. The normal Kageyama way.

"Hey Kageyama what that yogurt every do to you?" I called out to get his attention.

"Huh?"

"Forget it" I laughed. He was so serious all the time.

"What do you want Hinata?" He sensed my motives. Could he read my mind?

"Well… I was wondering if we could talk about something that's been on my mind"

"Is it about volleyball?"

"Not exactly"

"Then no." he said with no hesitation. What a jerk!

"Oh come on Grumpyyama. I really need someone to talk to" it was true. I hadn't really talked to anyone about all the stuff that had happened since I kissed Yachi-san the night of Nationals.

"I just don't see how I could help you by talking about all the stuff that's happened since you kissed Yachi-san in Nationals."

Wait.

HE COULD READ MINDS! KAGEYAMA WAS A PSYCHIC!

"Kageyama please tell me my fortune!" I begged him.

"What? What are you talking about moron?"

"Don't pretend. I know you're a psychic" I had finally exposed him. "How else would you know?"

"Yachi-san told me."

"HA! Please Kageyama. You're a pretty bad liar for a psychic." There was no way Yachi-san would tell him. Right?

"Not lying. She told me yesterday on our way home from practice after you left." He said calmly. "Anyways, since you didn't want to talk about volleyball I figure this was the only other topic in your simple mind."

I couldn't believe it. Had Yachi-san really confided in him? She was able to talk to Kageyama about it. Damn. It seemed like she was closer to all kinds of people than to me. This revelation just had the opposite effect than to what I was after. My head was more clouded than ever.

"Hinata" Kageyama's voice brought me back to reality. "I don't know what exactly is going to happen with your situation. All I can advise you is that you don't run"

"What do you mean?"

"I know this scares you." He stepped closer to me. "Think about it though. Is it really that scary?" He said this last comment as he started slapping the back of his head. His eyes never blinking nor losing contact with mine.

"Dude… you have to stop doing this to me." I was barely able to get those words out. I felt squeamish. Kageyama had developed this nasty habit to always remind of that horrible practice game in our first year. He used it as an encouragement of sorts, but it always left me feeling nauseous.

"I'll stop when you stop being a moron." He started walking away. He stopped walking and turned back to look at me. "Good luck Hinata."

He left with those parting words. I suddenly felt as if I was on fire. What just happened? Those last words just filled me with adrenaline. Damn that Kageyama. I was not about to waste this surge of energy.

I made my way back into the school filled with determination. I started looking for Yachi-san but was having no luck. I walked into the library and I saw her sitting next to him. Then it hit me. I never actually asked Kageyama anything about Yamaguchi. That had been the whole point of talking to him and it had slipped my mind. I was going in blind.

I approached them slowly. Trying very hard to listen in on what they were talking about before making my presence known. Any hint as to what was going on would help me right now. Then Yamaguchi started laughing and I saw him place his hand on top of Yachi-san's.

I blanked out.

* * *

 **Yachi's View**

"I hope I didn't interrupt anything important Yachi-san" Yamaguchi spoke once we were seated at a table in the library.

"Oh. Don't worry Yamaguchi-san. I'll talk to him later so it's ok." I reassured him. It was true though that I would much rather be with Hinata right now.

"I wish you'd dropped the –san already. I mean we've know each other for a while now and I consider us close friends. Don't you?"

"Oh. Um. Sure. I guess I'm not used to being so casual with everyone yet. I'll try"

"Don't sweat it Yachi-san. I'll give you all the time you need. I just hope you don't keep me waiting too long" he winked at me. Why was he acting so weird?

"Anyway, I think we should get started on reviewing the material." I just wanted to focus on the school work. Time passed faster when you got busy with something and right now I just wanted the day to be over so I could talk to Hinata.

Yamaguchi agreed and moved his chair closer to me so we could both look at the textbook. His side was slightly touching mine and it honestly felt a bit uncomfortable. I had no room to move over though so I just had to bear through it.

Lunch time was coming to a close and we had managed to cover a lot of the material. I was happy that I was able to help him out and also got a refresher for myself.

"Yachi-san, thank you so much for helping me out today. Things make a lot more sense now" he smiled at me. It was an honest smile.

"No problem Yamaguchi-san." I had said it before I realized it and he noticed it too. I guess I just wasn't ready to deepen our friendship yet.

"Hey, I was wondering" he started, "maybe we could do something after practice today. I really enjoyed spending this time with you"

That caught me off guard. Was Yamaguchi interested in me? I was getting nervous. Yamaguchi was a really nice guy but I had never thought about him as more than a friend. And we were barely even that to be honest. I'm just not interested in him as more than that. Maybe I'm overthinking everything. I do that a lot.

"Sorry Yamaguchi" I said. "After practice I'm going to try and talk to Hinata."

"Oh right! I completely forgot about him" he laughed. "Well maybe we can do it some other time"

He continued to laugh and I fear it was a way to mask his frustration. Then he placed his hand on mine. It maybe was there for a second or two. Before I could react and remove my hand I felt my other hand being pulled back.

I turned to see the reason and I just saw his back as he pulled me out of the chair and then out of the library all together. He continued to guide me through the school and I could just see all the students just looking at us. It was just like the time he dragged me so I could tell my mom I was going to be manager. Except this was 100 times more nerve-wracking for some reason. I just felt all the eyes on us and he still hadn't said anything.

We found ourselves outside the school and by the bicycle racks. He unlocked his and turned to me.

"Get on" he said to me. "Please."

He stared at me with his piercing eyes. A look I had seen before and had always sent chills down my spine. For some reason it didn't this time. There was something else in his eyes. It wasn't the normal air of intimidation. They had a gentle glow to them. They made me feel safe. So safe that I didn't even argue despite how confusing the last few minutes had been. I just got on the bike and wrapped my arms around his waist as we started moving.

I had no idea where we were headed. I knew it would be ok though. I was with him after all.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize that it took so long to update this story. My father has been in the hospital for the last couple of weeks and things have been pretty hectic. I also got my work shift switched to graveyard so I haven't had much time to write. I realized that I find comfort in writing so I'm going to try to keep to a more organized schedule. I appreciate all those who have taken the time to read my little story.**


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